Affiliations 

  • 1 Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA kcain@health.ucsd.edu
  • 2 Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  • 3 Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
  • 4 Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 5 School of Sport & Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 6 Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Olomoucký, Czech Republic
  • 7 Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • 8 Urban Design 4 Health, Seattle, Washington, USA
  • 9 Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 10 Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh
  • 11 AFIPS research group, Department of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression Teaching, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
  • 12 Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
  • 13 Khazanah Research Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
  • 14 Department of Physiotherapy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria
  • 15 Prevention Research Center, Brown School at Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
  • 16 Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • 17 Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
BMJ Open, 2021 01 18;11(1):e046636.
PMID: 33462102 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046636

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Only international studies can provide the full variability of built environments and accurately estimate effect sizes of relations between contrasting environments and health-related outcomes. The aims of the International Physical Activity and Environment Study of Adolescents (IPEN Adolescent) are to estimate the strength, shape and generalisability of associations of the community environment (geographic information systems (GIS)-based and self-reported) with physical activity and sedentary behaviour (accelerometer-measured and self-reported) and weight status (normal/overweight/obese).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The IPEN Adolescent observational, cross-sectional, multicountry study involves recruiting adolescent participants (ages 11-19 years) and one parent/guardian from neighbourhoods selected to ensure wide variations in walkability and socioeconomic status using common protocols and measures. Fifteen geographically, economically and culturally diverse countries, from six continents, participated: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and USA. Countries provided survey and accelerometer data (15 countries), GIS data (11), global positioning system data (10), and pedestrian environment audit data (8). A sample of n=6950 (52.6% female; mean age=14.5, SD=1.7) adolescents provided survey data, n=4852 had 4 or more 8+ hours valid days of accelerometer data, and n=5473 had GIS measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by waist-worn ActiGraph accelerometers and self-reports, and body mass index was used to categorise weight status.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was received from each study site's Institutional Review Board for their in-country studies. Informed assent by adolescents and consent by parents was obtained for all participants. No personally identifiable information was transferred to the IPEN coordinating centre for pooled datasets. Results will be communicated through standard scientific channels and findings used to advance the science of environmental correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status, with the ultimate goal to stimulate and guide actions to create more activity-supportive environments internationally.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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